This blog is meant to display my coins/currency notes/stamps, in an informative manner, which would be useful to users in knowing about the history of the period when these coins/banknotes/stamps were minted/printed and events/persons they honour/depict, both on Indian and foreign coins/banknotes/stamps. The content would be more in the nature of a walk down memory lane through my collection/articles.

Search This Blog

Sunday, 29 January 2017

429) Sundarbans (Part II): A set of 48 Post Cards issued by the Karnataka Postal Circle of India Post in 2015:

429) Sundarbans (Part II): A set of 48 Post Cardsissued by the Karnataka Postal Circle of India Post in 2015:

International
Bio-Diversity Decade – 2011 to 2020:

Bio-diversity is important
at every level. We live in a complex system where every living being depends on
every other in some way or the other. It is important that we actively pursue a
clear and current understanding of the system in which we live in order to
sustain it. As
part of creating awareness towards the above mission, the Karnataka
Postal Circle has brought out this set of 48 post cards on the
bio-diversity of the Sundarban and the urgent need to protect it to
maintain the ecological balance of this beautiful bounty of nature and
protecting the diverse creatures that live in it from extinction.

The Sundarbans:

The Sundarban is a
contiguous natural region in India and Bangladesh formed on the delta of the
Ganges (or Ganga River), Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers. It is the largest
estuarine mangrove forest in the world.

The Sundarban is a
National Park, Tiger Reserve, Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site and
a Ramsar Wetlands. It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and
invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile.

Description of pictures on 16 individual Post cards out of the set of 48 Post cards:

“Collared Kingfisher” (Todiramphus chloris) or “Mangrove
Kingfisher”:

This is a medium-sized
Kingfisher belonging to the family Halcyonidae – the Tree Kingfishers. It is
also known as the “White-Collared Kingfisher” or “Mangrove Kingfisher”. It is
most commonly found in coastal areas, particularly in mangrove swamps.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as of “Least Concern
(LC)”.

“Dhundhul Fruit” (Xylocarpus granatum) or “Mangrove Cannonball tree”:

This is a small to medium
sized tree native to India that grows in the marshes of Sundarbans. The large
fruits resemble cannon balls. The tree is monoecious or rarely dioecious. The
bark of the trunk is rich in tannin and is used for tanning heavy hides into
sole leather and for toughening and preserving fishing nets. The wood is a good
mahogany-like timber. The fruit is used in India to treat swellings of the
breast. Burnt seeds are used mixed with sulphur and coconut oil against itchy
skin.

“Lesser
Yellownape” (Picus chlorophus):

This is a woodpecker
native to India and is a jungle species which nests in a tree-hole, laying two
to four white eggs.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as of “Least Concern
(LC)”.

“Water
Monitor” (Varanus salvator macromaculatus):

This is a large lizard
native to South and Southeast asia. It lives in areas close to water. The
species can survive where other large carnivores cannot, as they are
cold-blooded, hence they are efficient. It is the world’s second heaviest
lizard after the Komodo dragon.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as of “Least Concern
(LC)”.

“Brown-winged
Kingfisher” (Pelargopsis amauroptera):

It is found in India,
Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Its natural habitat is sub-tropical
or tropical mangrove forests.

In India, it has been
mainly seen from the Sundarbans region and has even been sighted further South
near Chilika Lake.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as “Near Threatened (NT)”.

“Eurasian
Curlew” (Numenius arquata):

This is a wader in the
large family Scolopacidae. This is the largest wader in its range at 50 – 60 cm
in length, with a 89 – 106 cm wingspan and a body weight of 410 – 1,360 grams.
The familiar call from which the bird gets its name is a loud “curloo-oo”.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as “Near Threatened (NT)”.

Salt
Water Crocodile:

The Saltwater Crocodile is
a formidable and opportunistic hyper-carnivorous, apex, ambush predator. It is
capable of taking almost any animal that enters its territory, including
tigers, sharks and humans.

Due to their size and
distribution, Saltwater Crocodiles are the most dangerous extant crocodilian to
humans.

In India this crocodile has
a vast geographical range that extends from Kochi on the west coast to the
Sundarbans in West Bengal and to the Andaman Islands.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as of “Least Concern
(LC)”.

Vista
Point, Sundhanyakhali:

Sundhanyakhali Watch Tower
offers a vista to spot the Bengal Tigers. There is a freshwater pond adjacent
to the tower where wild animals come to drink water. Forests have been cleared
in radial corridors to view movement of wildlife.

“ROAR
– Tigers of Sundarbans”:

This Post Card depicts a
scene from a movie by this name in 2014, which was shot in the dense mangrove
forest showcasing the “animal-man conflict”. The film has aerial views of the
Sundarbans.

The actors shown here are
probably anticipating a tiger attack. Everyone is dressed in jungle gear,
except for the female actor who seems to be the “odd person” out in a different
dress.

“Bonbibi” or the “Lady of the
Forest”:

“Bonbibi” (or the “Lady of the Forest”) is a guardian spirit of the forests
venerated by both Hindu and Muslim residents of the Sundarbans. She is also
known as “Bandevi” and “Bandurga”.

She is called upon/prayed
to mostly by the honey-collectors and wood-cutters before they enter the
forests for protection against the attacks from the tigers.

Red
Junglefowl (Gallus gallus):

This junglefowl is thought
to be ancestral to the domestic chicken. It was first domesticated at least
5000 years ago in Asia, then taken around the world. Flight in these birds
is almost purely confined to reaching their roosting areas at sunset in trees or
to escape from immediate danger through the day.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as of “Least Concern
(LC)”.

Stilt-root
Mangrove or Garjan (Rhizophora apiculata):

This tree has arching
stilt roots that emerge from the trunk, hence their scientific name “Rhizopora” (which means “root bearer” in
Greek). These roots not only hold up the tree in soft mud, but also help the
tree to breathe. It uses ultra-filtration at the root level to exclude salt.

This species is found in
the intermediate estuarine zone in the Sundarbans. The seed of this tree
germinates in the fruit forming a seedling which drops into the mud and anchors
itself.

The International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists this species as of “Least Concern
(LC)”.

Prawn
Seed Collection:

The rivers and creeks of
the Sundarbans are an incredible repository of fish and prawns.

Among the various types of
prawns that are commercially farmed, the “tiger prawn” (Penaeus monodon), locally known as “bagda” is the largest in size and known to have the most delicious
taste.

Prawn seed is collected
from the rivers flowing in the southern part of the region. As the soil of this
region is not very fertile and periodically gets submerged by salt water, a
large section of the population of these deltaic islands works in the rivers as
fisher-folk and prawn seed collectors.

Breathing
Roots:

Sonneratia
species
grow in oxygen-poor sediments. The underground root system needs and demands
oxygen and the underground soil system is not able to support the underground
root system with enough oxygen. As such, the underground root system outgrows
aerial roots that grow vertically up to the air above the soil. The cone roots
have numerous lenticels that enable gas exchange directly above the surface.
The cone roots provide the additional needed oxygen which cannot be taken from
the soil.

Indian
Boar (Sus scrofa cristalus):

The Indian boar differs
from its European counterpart by its larger, more sharply featured and
straighter skull and overall lighter build. The boar appears occasionally in
Indian mythology in the “Charak Samhita”,
the boar is described as a form of “Prajapati”
(The “King of the people”) and is credited with having raised the earth from
the primeval waters.

In the Indian epic “Ramayana” and the ancient Indian texts “Puranas”, the boar is portrayed as one
of the “avatars” (incarnations) of Lord Vishnu.

Tourists
having a mud bath:

No,
these are not a group of tribals.

In this picture can be
seen a group of tourists having a mud bath in the Sunderbans swamps.

About Me

I am Rajeev Prasad, a retired State Bank of India officer who had been collecting coins in a shoe box without having a serious interest. Only after quitting my job I got the time to take serious interest in developing my coin collection into a hobby. A pity, because I would have had more opportunity to lay my hands on more 'exclusive coins' while in the Bank. Anyway, as they say,better late than never. If you have any views to share with me regarding this blog , please contact me on my email rajeevprasad1208@gmail.com. I also have a twitter account @prasad_rajeev.
I had an opportunity to participate in a Documentary on the life and times of the 25 paise coin titled “Chal Basi Chavanni” (The four anna/twenty five paise coin passes away), aired by STAR NEWS on 29th and 30th June 2011. The programme helped in making many persons hold back onto their “chavannis”, the little round beauties, instead of returning them to Banks .